NHL Stanley Cup 1st Round

The first round threw up only a couple of surprises as most of the teams I expected to progress went on to the second round. Below you can see all the final scores and how they matched up to my earlier predictions.

Western Conference:

Detroit beat Phoenix 4 - 0

My Prediction: 3 - 4 (Phoenix win)

Well I was miles off with this one. I thought that Phoenix would be able to push Detroit just as far this year as they did last but, when their best player (Bryzgalov) doesn't play well, the Coyotes don't win, despite the brilliance of Shane Doan throughout the series and the emergence of Kyle Turris from his season-long slumber. Detroit were by far the better side and deserved to go through.

San Jose beat Los Angeles 4 - 2

My Prediction: 4 – 1

I wasn't too far off with this one. San Jose proved to be too much for LA, as we all thought they would. The Kings played some great hockey and, had they defended their 4-0 lead in Game 3 of the series, things might have turned out differently. Thornton, Marleau and Heatley were fairly non-existent to begin with but they are building up a head of steam right now and march on.

Nashville beat Anaheim 4 – 2

My Prediction: 1 – 4 (Ducks win)

Again, my predictive powers failed me. Despite a great series for Ryan, Getzlaf, Perry and Selanne, the hardworking Nashville Predators had too much grit and determination for the highly skilled Anaheim Ducks. Despite being knocked out, Bobby Ryan can find some solace in having scored one of the best goals in Stanley Cup history.

Vancouver beat Chicago 4 – 3

My Prediction: 4 – 3

Spot on for this one. Probably the best series out of them all. Vancouver went 3-0 up and the Blackhawks came right back to tie it. Vancouver had goalie issues and even let in a short-handed goal at the end of Game 7 to take the game into overtime before they finally overcame the team that has put them out of the last two Stanley Cup playoffs. Vancouver have shown they have more about them this year and I fancy them to go far.

Eastern Conference:

Washington beat New York 4 – 1

My Prediction: 4 – 2

Washington proved to be too much for the Rangers who simply could not match the speed and power of the Capital's forwards. The Rangers did push Washington hard and, had a couple of bounces gone their way in overtime, we could have been looking at a much closer series. However, the better team did go through. Washington look dangerous.

Tampa Bay beat Pittsburgh 4 – 3

My Prediction: 4 – 2

At one point I thought that the Bolts were on their way out. They were 3 – 1 down to the Pittsburgh Penguins after four games and that usually means only one thing. However, Steven Stamkos finally found his game in his first NHL playoffs and sparked a remarkable turnaround that ended with Tampa going through after a 1 – 0 win in Game 7. Pittsburgh will be wondering how this series got away from them.

Boston beat Montreal 4 – 3

My Prediction: 4 – 3

Nailed this one. With the history between these two sides, how could this series not have gone seven games? It would have been a travesty. It was another memorable seven games in the Bruins/Canadiens saga and, in the end, the better team went through for sure. The Bruins, now they have put out their biggest rivals, look very well placed to reach the Conference Final and even the Stanley Cup Final.

Philadelphia beat Buffalo 4 – 3

My Prediction: 4 – 0

I was way off with the series score, but not with the eventual winner. Philadelphia were without Chris Pronger for the early part of this series and it showed. However, on his return, the Flyers found their game and ground out some hugely important wins including a pivotal overtime win in Game 6 that allows them to move on. They will have to resolve their goaltending issues if they are to go as far as they did last year. Buffalo will be kicking themselves for letting this opportunity to progress to round 2 slip away.

I'll be back later to preview the next round!

The Future Looks Bright for the Phoenix Coyotes

A long battle between the GWI (Gold Water Institute) and prospective Phoenix Coyotes owner Matt Hulsizer might finally be coming to an end. After several months of a stand-off between the two parties, it looks like the deal is going to move forward and Hulsizer will be able to purchase the Phoenix Coyotes and keep them in Glendale, Arizona.

Some quick facts about the deal:

• The Coyotes will cost $170 million to buy
• Hulsizer will pay $70 million
• The City of Glendale will pay Hulsizer the remaining $100 million to help him buy the team.

The problems started a few months ago when the GWI declared that the payment of $100 million from the City of Glendale to Matt Hulsizer is illegal. To generate that money the City is trying to sell municipal bonds to investors. In return for the money, the City will receive, among other things, the rights to parking revenues at Jobing.com Arena and naming rights for the parking area.

What the GWI stress, beyond the fact that paying a businessman a “gift” of $100 million is illegal, is that the parking revenues will not cover the loss of that $100 million so the deal would be a bad one for the taxpayer. The GWI were threatening to sue anyone who purchased the bonds which pretty much froze any interest in the bonds. With no investors ready to buy the bonds, the City can't pay Hulsizer the $100 million and he can  not buy the team.

However, as stated earlier, things have finally started to move forward. During the first intermission of last night's game against the Chicago Blackhawks (a hard-fought, but disappointing 2-1 loss), Matt Hulsizer declared that of the $100 million he would be payed, the City would get $25 million back straight away. He also said, in a bid to move things forward and satisfy the “gift” clause that has been so problematic, that his party would cover the other $75 million, meaning that the City's taxpayers will pay nothing towards the deal and the City itself will still receive the rights to the parking revenues. 

Hulsizer (centre) watches the Coyotes at Jobing.com Arena.

 In addition to the above, Hulsizer and his party will be paying between $5 and $10 million to the City of Glendale every year. Although there is a sense that Hulsizer has given in to some of the GWI's demands, I think everyone who wants to see the Coyotes stay in Arizona will be happy with this news.

It is about time too.

Last night also saw Senator John McCain also being interviewed, along with former Attorney General Grant Woods, both of whom stated their support for Hulsizer and the deal that keeps the Coyotes in the desert for the long term future. In fact, the Senator stated that, “ It is to the greater good of the state of Arizona that the Coyotes stay here.” Strong words.

While I have to stress that the deal is not yet done, last night's news does mean that the GWI should back down and allow the bonds to be sold which will allow the deal to be completed.

The ball is back in the court of the GWI and we should be hearing from them very soon indeed.

Watch this space...

Home-Stand Success for Desert Dogs

Bryzgalov, Doan and Jovo celebrate a win

The Phoenix Coyotes' recent home stand has been a massive positive for two reasons. First of all, the Coyotes have gotten back to winning ways, playing the same gritty defensive game that served them so well last season. Secondly, they have started to make the Jobing.com Arena a hard place to go. While their home record is still not great, the last few games have started to push it in the right direction.

The Coyotes have played six of their last seven games at home and have won six in a row since receiving that 6-0 battering from Vancouver on the 2^nd of February. That game seems to have given the Coyotes a well needed kick up the backside as they have been excellent since. Phoenix have beaten the likes of the Stars (in Dallas), the Blackhawks and the Capitals during their six game streak and have looked very strong defensively in all of those games.

The home stand has not been without its problems however. It looks like veteran defenseman Ed Jovanovski is going to be out for a significant amount of time after fracturing his orbital bone in a head collision at the end of the second period against the Thrashers on Thursday night. The Phoenix blueline will miss Jovo's leadership skills and his presence on the ice for sure, however, this may be a chance for some of the younger defensemen to show what they can do as they will undoubtedly get more ice-time in the wake of the injury.

Next up for the Coyotes is a ten-day, five-game road trip that looks very, very difficult on paper. While there are plenty of games left in the season, these five games could be crucial to the Coyotes' hopes of making the playoffs. These games will also be a good test for this team, allowing the fans and players a chance to see where the Coyotes rank amongst some of the more elite teams of the NHL.

The first game is against the Nashville Predators who are very similar to the Coyotes in the way they play. I am predicting a low scoring game there. Next up will be the Flyers and then the Lightning, the two best teams of the Eastern conference. The last two games, against the Blue Jackets, and the Blackhawks respectively will be a chance for the Coyotes to take more points off their Western Conference rivals.

The keys to a successful road trip will be:

• Ilya Bryzgalov staying hot between the pipes. Bryz has been the biggest reason behind the Coyotes' recent success.
• Big defensive effort. The Coyotes have simplified their game and gone back to what makes them a successful team. By reducing the scoring chances against, they give themselves a better chance of winning.
• Jovo's replacement stepping up. With such a big player out, whoever it is that steps into his place must have an excellent five games.
• Team scoring. With no true goalscorer, the Coyotes rely on all their forwards to pitch in with goals and assists. This needs to continue.

First game of the road-trip is on Saturday. The puck drops at 8:00pm CST.